A Mindful Moment (or Two) or How to Meditate with a Cat in Your Lap

This morning as I sipped my cup of tea, my cat “Edie” made her usual visit to my lap. I noticed that I was lost in thought at the moment – that seemingly nonstop inner narrative about meaningless minutiae. Then I consciously shifted to what was actually happening with my kitty. I placed her, for a few moments, at the center of my attention. I luxuriated as my fingers moved through her incredible softness. I delighted at the tactile sense of her dainty ears. I felt the vibrations of her purring through my belly, heard her powerful little “motor”, and reveled in her intense love for me (and mine for her). A nice way to start the day – and far superior to being lost in thought about things that weren’t even happening. The richness of what WAS actually happening was right in my lap – I just had to stop thinking long enough and remember to notice! Now that’s stress reduction!